The Spark Center meeting for Spokane artists who may or may not be lost

Last Saturday, December 10, I participated in a round-table conference for young and emerging artists in the Spokane community. The purpose of this meeting was to give advice and build connections for younger artists, as well as to establish a community feel for the fine arts community in Spokane. There were representatives from all aspects of the fine arts community; theatre, comic books, glass, art administration, 2D, and many others. The main ideas discussed during this meeting were:

• Marketing towards groups in and outside of Spokane to get a feel for how your work fits into the market
• Interacting and forming relationships with people who are further along in their career and work in the same style/mode/form as you do
• What is relevant here may not be relevant somewhere else; if you find that some of your work here is successful and some others aren't, there is still a possibility that there is a market for the other pieces of artwork, it just depends on the city and the viewer's thoughts on your work.
• On January 1st there will be the first, Spokane Arts Grant program going live for artists/collectives/partners to get funds for their projects. Grants range anywhere from $0-$10,000
• Look at the big picture when pricing your work. Take into account the money that you wish to be paid for the time period in which you will be working on the project, the utility cost of creating and maintaining your project (lights, electrical, supplies, renting space for displaying)
• There aren't very many resources for emerging artists to bring professionalism into their artwork, so always remember: Adhere to guidelines, look at industry quality (the quality of other artists who are successful in your field), and make sure to conduct yourself well.
• Is what you are saying lining up with what we are seeing and what you are writing when you are writing a grant?
• All artists should go through the process of writing grants, this is a very important part of the artist community
• Being in a community, its not just about you, and often times you will become much more successful when working in a collective or with a small group of people who all share your ambition
• Don't be afraid to approach a gallery. Be sure you are able to articulate what is important about the work that they specifically should be excited about. Show that your art relates to them or would be of particular interest to them
• An artists statement should be short and concise

For more information, visit Artisttrust.org